Sueded quarter lining



Nov. 25, 1952 H. c. LEVY 2 9,

SUEDED QUARTER LININGS Filed Oct. 10, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 IN VEN TOR.

Nov. 25, 1952 H. c. LEVY 2,619,441

SUEDED QUARTER LININGS Filed Oct. 10, ,1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 IN VEN TOR.

Patented Nov. 25, 1 952 srArs SUEDED QUARTER LINING Herman C. Levy, NewYork, N. Y., assignor to Beckwith Manufacturing Company, Dover,

2 Claims.

This invention comprises an improved shoe lining presenting a suededflocked non-slip surface inside the shoe and having latent stiffeningproperties for imparting stiffness to the counter or other parts of shoeuppers. More particularly, it comprises a unitary lining structurepossessing counter stiffening properties and presenting a flockedquarter lining surface. The improved lining is of the thermosofteningtype so that it may be assembled with counter portions of upper leatheror other outer integum-ent in a heat-softened and moldable condition andmolded to the contour of the last during the pulling over andheel-lasting steps of the shoemaking process.

Heretofore it has been the general practice, in the construction of thecounter portions of shoes, to insert a fiber counter stiffener as adistinct or unitary element between the leather or outer integument andan inner textile lining. The stiffener may be molded either separatelyor with the other plies of the counter pocket, but in commercialshoemaking practice a three-ply construction has generally beenconsidered necessary and this entails fitting, tempering and assemblingoperations which must be carried out with accuracy in order to insure asatisfactory product. The three-ply construction which includes a fibrestiffener also necessarily results in a considerable and sometimesobjectionable thickness of ma terial which it is often difficult toshape smoothly and accurately to the last about the heel seat of theshoe. It is usually considered necessary to apply an adhesive to one orboth faces of the counter stiffener to secure it adhesively to at leastone of its enclosing plies and generally to both of them.

Patent No. 2,391,445 dated December 25, 1945, discloses a fiberboardcounter stiffener having a resinous surface coating with an embossedpattern thereon. This unit is designed to be combined with shoe uppermaterial and molded to form the counter portion of a shoe prior toassembling it in the shoe upper. The resulting construction is notsuitable, however, for high grade work.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a laminated upperlining which will serve as the quarter lining as well as the counterstiffener and which is thermosoftening and can be readily molded to thecontour of the last during the pulling over and heel lasting steps. Thusan important economy is introduced into the shoemaking process bothbecause less material is used and because the number of shoemakingoperations required is correspondingly reduced. The counter portion thatresults from utilization of 2 this invention in shoe constructionpossesses all the characteristics of counters of the three-plyconstruction both in the stiffening effect and in the quarter liningsurface that is presented. Further, it has the feel of leathercounter-stiffeners used in the more expensive shoes, being flexible inthe top section as well as stiff and firm toward the bottom. Animportant advantage realized through use of my improved laminated upperlining is found in a two-ply construction which presents a more readilymoldable quarter portion as well as a counter-stiffener that becomesmolded to the last in a thermosoftened state, during the pulling overand heel lasting steps, and. requiring no preliminary molding operationas:

such.

The invention also includes within its scope a composite stiffener andquarter-lining member which will become adhesively secured to the outerintegument during the pulling over and heel lasting steps, therebyeliminating the separate step of cementing the conventionalcounter-stiffener to the upper leather.

I have discovered that these and other desirable results may be achievedby employing as the composite stiffening and quarter-lining member alaminated construction comprising a foundation ply of reinforcing andsupporting fabric, a ply of a flocked quarter-lining material and anintermediate film of a normally resilient thermosoftening film-formingbonding composition which acts to bond the quarter-lining to thefoundation ply. Optionally, the composite unit may carry on the outersurfaceof its foundation ply a coating of a heat-sensitive adhesiveadapted to secure the composite unit to the upper leather or other outerintegument at the same time the counter is molded.

The reinforcing and supporting foundation pl; may be of any fibrous ortextile fabric sheet. Its essential function is to form a thin andstructurally strong base ply to which the quarterlining material can bepermanently attached through the medium of a bonding composition. Whilea textile material, such as an Osnaberg of weight 3.65 yds. per poundmay be used, it is preferable to use a material possessing greater bodyand greater tensile strength. A very satisfactory material comprises atwo-ply lamination of single nap flannel which is formed by impregnatingand bonding the flannel, nap sides together, with a polyvinyl acetateemulsion which, after proper controlled distribution of its solidsthroughout the two fabrics and subsequent dehydration, results in atough and durably strong laminate importantly characterized by thethermoplasticity of the continuous polyvinyl stiffening film. Thus thestiffened two-ply fabric when used as a foundation ply provides a shoestructure light in gauge and adapted to reproduce the compound curvatureof the heel of a normal shoe last when the ply is softened by heat andcaused by pressure or tension to conform to the last.

The inner quarter-lining ply consists of any suitable sueded flockedsheeting which may be incorporated as one ply of laminated structure.Alternatively, the sueded flock may be affixed directly to the surfaceof the thermoplastic structural laminate, thus eliminating the necessityfor separately attaching two plies.

The thermosoftening bonding adhesive may be any flexible,moisture-resistant film-forming composition which softens suflicientlyby either moist or dry heat to conform unresistingly to the curvaturesof the heel of a last under the tensions presented thereby by normalmechanical lasting practice and at temperatures commonly utilized inpre-heating shoe uppers preparatory to lasting operations and capable ofbeing rendered adhesive by the use of such moist or dry heat or throughthe application of appropriate solvents, or both. This same bondingadhesive as used to attach the foundation ply to the quarter-liningmember can, if desired, be also used as the ad- L hesive material on thesurface of the blank opposed to the quarter-lining surface, or adifferent adhesive of other characteristics concerned with viscosityunder activation may be selectively used for this latter purpose.

The above described combination material, comprising when finished aflocked quarter-lining and foundation ply united by a thermosofteningbonding adhesive and having on its surface opposite to thequarter-lining a thermosoftening adhesive, 9. subject to be cut intoblanks of the desired shape by conventional methods. Such blanks arethereafter skived around their base and top edges so that the stitchingemployed around the top line of the blank may pass through a pluralityof the fibers in order to improve stitching tear strength. In using suchblanks in forcelasted shoes made under the conventional Californiaprocess, scarfs around the base of the blank will be of such length soas to cause the edge of the blank to be resiliently soft in receivingthe stitches required to attach it to the sock lining at all pointswhere both become co-engaged.

In accordance with the present invention, by using the bondingcomposition to secure adhesively the quarter-lining material in itsfunctional relationship to the foundation ply as well as to impart somestiffness to the ultimate combination, the necessity of separatelycementing a counterstiffener to the quarter-lining is obviated; and byusing conventional quarter-lining fabric as one of the plies of thelaminated self-stiffening lining, the need of a separate ply of fabricused in conventional shoe structure is similarly eliminated. Thus theinvention results in a saving of the cost of separately preparin andmolding counters, the cost of assemblin such counters in shoes,cementing counters in place, and the danger of misplaced stiffeners inthe shoe. It also obviates the necessity of carrying large inventoriesof counters of different sizes and styles.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood andappreciated from the following description of preferred embodimentsthereof, selected for purposes of illustration and 4 constructed asshown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic view showing schematically a convenientprocedure for preparing the foundation ply,

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing one procedure for preparing a flockedsurface fabric,

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing a method of combining the foundationply and 2. ply of flocked fabric, and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a counter lining assembled with a shoe upper.

The preferred foundation ply may be conveniently prepared from twosheets of single nap flannel of the desired weight and Width, forexample, about 3.90 yards per 1b., 44 inches wide with nap on one sideof each sheet. The two plies of flannel are first saturated orimpregnated with polyvinyl acetate emulsion and then dried by beingpassed about steam heated drums and banks of infra-red lamps.

One convenient procedure for preparing the foundation ply is shown inFig. 1. Two rolls l0ll of single nap flannel are simultaneouslyunrolled, passing through tensioning rolls I 2 and combining nap sidestogether at the roll [3. The combined plies of flannel M are thensaturated with polyvinyl acetate emulsion l5 contained in a trough IS inwhich is submerged a roll ll around which pass the combined plies. Fromthe submerged roll H the combined plies pass upwardly and thence overthree guide rolls !8 to a pair of squeeze rolls [9 adjusted as to theirrelationship to remove excess emulsion which drains back to the troughIS. The combined plies [4 are then dried by passing around several steamheated drums 20 and finally through banks 2| of infrared heaters. Therate at which the combined backing material l 4 can be produced isdependent upon the rate of drying and must be adjusted so that a dryproduct emerges.

The sheet of suede flocked material may be prepared by any convenient orcommercial process available, for example that fully disclosed in UnitedStates Letters Patent No. 2,173,032, September 12, 1939, Wintermute. Assuggested in Fig. 2, the fabric 22 for this purpose is led from a coil23 over suitable guide rolls and across the lower face of a plateelectrode 24 contained in an enclosure 25. An adhesive coating issupplied to the fabric by a reservoir 26 so that in passing across theelectrode 24 an adhesive surface is exposed to bombardment by looseflocking material in the shape of pile-forming fabric not over A inlength.

The illustrated flocking apparatus includes a rapidly vibrating screen21 of coarse mesh through which the flocking fibers are driven by anupwardly directed current of air. As the fibers begin to deposit on thesheet 22, the electrode 24 is rapped by a cam actuated rod 28 so thatvibration is imparted to all of that portion of the sheet 22 which isheld against the underside of the electrode 24. Any fibers not attachedto the sheet by the adhesive are thus jarred away from the pile to berecirculated. The finished flocked fabric 29 passes upwardly out of thereceptacle 25 and is now ready to be combined with the foundation ply.

The flocked fabric, which now has a suede appearance, may now becombined with the foundation ply M to produce the laminatedself-stiffening quarter lining of this invention by being fed betweencalender rolls 3|, 32 as shown in Fig. 3. A bank of suitable stiffeningand bonding composition 30 may be maintained between the two plies attheir entrance to the nip of the calender rolls. One satisfactorybonding and stiffening composition consists of 90 parts opal wax, partsstearic acid, and 60 parts ethyl cellulose. The opal wax and the stearicacid are first melted and mixed together, and then the ethyl celluloseis added and heating is continued while the batch is stirred until ahomogeneous viscous mass results. This composition becomes soft andpliable at about 200 F. and may be rendered adhesive by heating to atemperature of approximately 260 F.

While it is within the scope of the invention also to render the bondingcomposition adhesive through the action of solvents, it is preferred touse heat and thereby avoid the time and necessity of allowing thesolvent to evaporate.

One example of the improved quarter lining of my invention is shown inFig. 4. It is died out in the required shape from the laminated sheetproduced in accordance with Fig. 3. Preferably the top margin of thefoundation ply l8ll is skived to facilitate a neat assembly with theupper in the counter portion of the shoe and the molding of the linedupper during the pulling over and heel lasting steps. If it is desiredadhesively to combine the quarter lining with an outer integument of theupper, a coating of heat activating adhesive may be applied to the outersurface of the foundation ply. This adhesive may be of the samecomposition as that described above, although any satisfactorycomposition may be employed. One such is compounded of the followingformula:

50 parts by weight gum rosin 50 parts ethyl cellulose 50 parts stearicacid.

These ingredients are combined by melting them together with stirring.

It is contemplated that, if desired, the flocking material may beapplied directly to the foundation ply, that is to say, the laminatedand impregnated foundation ply I0--ll may be substituted in Fig. 2 forthe fabric 22.

In manufacturing shoes embodying the improved quarter lining of thisinvention, ordinary shoemaking processes are used. The quarter liningmay be conveniently stitched like any other lining along its margins tothe outer integument 33 of the upper. The combined parts of the upperare then heated to render the laminated quarter lining soft andmoldable, and when the foundation ply carries an adhesive coating toactivate that adhesive. Heating may conveniently be done in heaterssimilar to conventional box toe heaters or adaptations thereof. Theupper thus assembled is then placed upon the last and pulled over in theconventional manner and subsequently lasted, thereby conforming thesoftened counter portion to the contour of the heel end of the last andsecuring adhesively the outer integument to the quarter lining. Inaddition to a very substantial saving in shoemaking costs, the improvedquarter lining of my invention materially improves the appearance of theinside of the counter portion of the shoe, imparting to it a smooth andclean effect and providing a nonslipping suede surface for engagementwith the wearers foot.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described in detail a preferredmethod by which it can be carried out, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent:

1. A laminated unitary shoe lining having selfstiffening properties andcomprising a foundation ply, a ply of textile fabric having a singleflocked surface, and an intermediate ply of thermosoftening film-formingbonding material uniting adhesively the foundation ply and the flockedfabric with its flocked surface exposed for contact with the foot of thewearer, and having a film of a heat-activatable adhesive compound on theouter surface of the foundation ply adapted to become adhesivelyactivated and to secure the laminated lining combination to the outerintegument of the upper of the shoe when heated preparatory to thepulling over and heel lasting steps of the shoemaking process.

2. A quarter lining having counter-stiffening properties and comprisinga multiply foundation of textile fabric carrying internally a uniformlydistributed charge of thermoplastic stiffening compound and having oneof its faces coated with a heat-sensitive adhesive compound forattachment to an outer integument of a shoe upper, the lining as a wholepresenting a sueded flock texture for exposure inside the upper next thefoot of the wearer.

HERMAN C. LEVY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,759,976 Cummings May 27, 19301,978,549 Muir Oct. 30, 1934 2,087,260 Miller July 20, 1937 2,541,761Harrison Feb. 13, 1951

1. A LAMINATED UNITARY SHOE LINING HAVING SELFSTIFFENING PROPERTIES ANDCOMPRISING A FOUNDATION PLY, A PLY OF TEXTILE FABRIC HAVING A SINGLEFLOCKED SURFACE, AND AN INTERMEDIATE PLY OF THERMOSOFTENING FILM-FORMINGBONDING MATERIAL UNITING ADHESIVELY THE FOUNDATION PLY AND THE FLOCKEDFABRIC WITH ITS FLOCKED SURFACE EXPOSED FOR CONTACT WITH THE FOOT OF THEWEARER, AND HAVING A FILM OF A HEAT-ACTIVATABLE ADHESIVE COMPOUND ON THEOUTER SURFACE OF THE FOUNDATION PLY ADAPTED TO BECOME ADHESIVELYACTIVATED AND TO SECURE THE LAMINATED LINING COMBINATION TO THE OUTERINTEGUMENT OF THE UPPER OF THE SHOE WHEN HEATED PREPARATORY TO THEPULLING OVER AND HEEL LASTING STEPS OF THE SHOEMAKING PROCESS.